Being Hong Kong!

Could Hong Kong GET any Hong-Kong-ier?

You may recall The Wishing Tree at Tai Po?

If you don't, this is an ancient and venerable tree where, for centuries, folk congregated to write their wishes on streamers tied to an orange and then throw the fruit high into the branches, all done to request a boon from the Tree Spirit!

And you may recall that an elderly boon requester was killed about two years ago when the orange she was throwing brought down a branch on her head?  And it happened shortly after an elderly man attempted to sue HK when a branch fell on his head.

A blast from the past.  

HK Magazine's Threatdown.

And so the Conservation Society brought in tree doctors who declared that the tree was in its death throes and needed to be left alone.

Well, you'll be happy to know that, as of yesterday, The Wishing Tree is doing well:

Really quite restored to 

health and vigor, isn't it!

And it's all thanks to smarty-pants Hong Kong erecting close by ... a New Improved PLASTIC Wishing Tree.

Meaning that instead of requesting a boon from this ...

... you boon request at this ...

Note the oranges and streamers!

... which begs the question that sounds like it should be the title of a Gonzo Journalist novel:  

Do Plastic Trees Have Tree Spirits?

Gosh, I do love Hong Kong!